COMING TOGETHER IN THE FACE OF TRAGEDY – Over 300 West New Yorkers gathered outside the town’s municipal building on Monday evening for a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the children and adults who were killed in the Newtown, Conn. school shooting last Friday.

Because of the holidays over the next week, the Hudson Reporter newspapers will have special advertising and editorial deadlines.

For the Wednesday, Dec. 26 edition of the Bayonne Community News and the Thursday, Dec. 27 edition of the Midweek Reporter, the editorial deadline is 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21. The classified and display advertising deadlines are 12 noon on Friday, Dec. 21.

The office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 24 and 25. It will reopen Wednesday, Dec. 26.

For the Sunday, Dec. 30 edition of the Hudson Reporter “Year in Review” all-county edition, the classified deadline is 12 noon on Wednesday, Dec. 26 and the advertising deadline is 5 p.m.

For the Wednesday, Jan. 2 edition of the Bayonne Community News and the Thursday, Jan. 3 Midweek Reporter Friday, Dec. 28, the classified and display advertising deadline is 12 noon.

The office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, and will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

For the Sunday, Jan. 6 edition of the Hudson Reporter “Year in Pictures,” the advertising deadline is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2

If you have questions about these deadlines or any other issue, please call (201) 798-7800. Also check www.hudsonreporter.com.

West New York holds vigil in remembrance of shooting victims

Nearly 300 West New Yorkers came out in solidarity on Monday evening to remember the victims of the Newtown, Conn. school shooting that took place last week. The names of the victims were read and there were multiple moments of silence and prayer in a town nearly 75 miles from Newtown, showing that you don’t always need to have a direct connection to a tragedy in order to grieve.

In a speech delivered in both English and Spanish, Mayor Felix Roque reassured West New York parents that security was high in the town’s public schools. Afterwards, he said that he was speaking as a mayor, but also as a parent and American.

“As a nation, we have endured far too much pain, profound loss of life and more questions than answers about where we are headed as a society and as human beings,” he said. “This tragedy has no boundaries and people all over the world have their hearts broken.”

Other speakers included leaders in the town’s religious community, Police Director Michael Indri, and Superintendent of Schools John Fauta, who could barely contain his grief as he struggled to assure parents that every necessary step was being taken to keep their children safe.

“As an educator and a parent, this type of thing is our worst nightmare,” he said.